Buzz
From the initial impressions, iPad Air 5 may not seem to have many breakthroughs like the iPad Air 4 in 2020, with the design and overall look remaining unchanged. However, the key upgrade this time lies in the processor. Instead of continuing to use the latest A-series chip, Apple has decided to use the versatile M1 chip to push the performance of the Air series to new heights.
iPad Air 5 Price and Color Options
iPad Air 5 is now available on the market at a price equivalent to the previous generation, with the following expected prices:
- iPad Air 5 WiFi 64GB priced at 17 million VND
- iPad Air 5 WiFi 256GB priced at 21 million VND
- iPad Air 5 Cellular 64GB priced at 21 million VND
- iPad Air 5 Cellular 256GB priced at 25 million VND
In terms of colors, iPad Air 5 will come in 5 options for users to choose from: Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Blue.
Hardware and Design Review of iPad Air 5
iPad Air 5 shares many similarities with the 4th generation: identical design. You'll find similar rounded corners on the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, USB-C port at the bottom, dual speakers, and a smart connector for accessories. If you put these two generations side by side, it will be difficult to differentiate them.
Although the design remains unchanged, since the iPad Air 4 was a major upgrade for Apple in 2020, users also don't need to worry that its appearance will look too outdated like the 2021 iPad. And although the weight of the Air 5 will be slightly heavier than the previous version by about 9 grams, don't worry, it's still light enough to take with you anywhere.
Air 5 still uses a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port on the basic iPhone or iPad. The USB-C port brings many connectivity options, providing a rich selection of peripheral devices for the iPad. Furthermore, this port also supports the all-new Studio Display, and even the Pro Display XDR for outputting to an external screen with a maximum resolution of 6K. Finally, the data transfer speed of this port is up to 10Gbps, while not as impressive as Thunderbolt (40Gbps), doubling the previous generation is already feasible.
Speaking of display, the screen of iPad Air 5 is similar to the previous version. The 10.9-inch size with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels and a pixel density of 264 ppi makes everything very clear. Although it doesn't have the 120Hz refresh rate like the ProMotion display of the iPad Pro, it doesn't affect the experience. The maximum brightness of the screen is 500 nits, which may be a bit difficult to see if you use the device outdoors, but if used indoors, this is excellent brightness. In addition, this screen has some other good features such as TrueTone and wide P3 color gamut. Furthermore, the screen is fully laminated and has an anti-reflective coating, which greatly helps with daily use.
The most significant hardware change in iPad Air 5 mainly lies in the M1 processor. If you've ever used iPad Air 4 and felt that the performance of the Bionic A14 chip was strong and fast enough, then Air 5 will be even better. Furthermore, operating at high performance, but the M1 doesn't make Air 5 too hot, even playing games for hours, the device only gets slightly warm.
Last but certainly not least, iPad Air 5 supports 5G for the first time, but with some limitations. The new iPad Air does not support mmWave 5G, which is faster and can provide download speeds of 1GB/s. It only supports Sub-6 5G, although slower than mmWave, it is the common frequency band today.
Software and Performance of iPad Air 5
iPad Air 5 runs the latest version of iPadOS 15, which is the latest operating system with upgraded features to improve the experience such as the main screen, multitasking, and shortcuts. Although it still cannot provide as much experience as a real laptop, when combined with the M1 chip, iPad Air 5 achieves a level of performance that you've surely never experienced before: extremely fast and smooth. While this is very difficult to notice with the naked eye, just put two devices side by side, and it's not hard to see that Air 5 operates much smoother than Air 4.
Furthermore, this tablet also has the potential to become a favorite device for many gamers. With a 10.9-inch size and powerful performance, any game, no matter how heavy the graphics, won't be a problem for Air 5. Every detail of the game is displayed smoothly and crisply, making it difficult to argue.
Moreover, iPad Air 5 is also an exemplary tablet for work. Not only smooth with basic office tasks, but it can also easily handle high-resolution image processing. For example, with Pixelmator software, the same workload on a basic iPad can take hours, while Air 5 completes it in less than an hour. Increased productivity means you can save more time, saving money as well. And that's the special thing about M1.
Battery Life of Air 5
Apple never discloses the battery capacity their devices use, but Air 5 is estimated to have a battery life similar to its predecessor, about 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi or video playback.
Real-world experience shows that Apple's figures are entirely accurate. Under moderate usage conditions, this tablet lasts for about 10 – 12 hours, only when pushing performance to play games or edit photos does the battery decrease, but not by much. Overall, if you use this tablet instead of a laptop, you can rest assured that it's enough to get through a workday.
Camera
There are still only two cameras on iPad Air 5, one on the rear and one on the front. However, the front camera has received a significant upgrade compared to before.
The front camera is now a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage integration, as seen in many previous models. This is a very suitable feature nowadays, making video calls much more enjoyable because you can adjust your position as you wish without moving the device.
The 12MP rear camera of Air 5 is certainly capable of taking photos, but the quality is nothing extraordinary. If you want better shooting capabilities, iPad Pro is a more reasonable choice. However, if you only need a few quick and decent shots, Air 5 is sufficient.
Which accessories are compatible with iPad Air 5?
This tablet is compatible with a variety of accessories similar to the iPad Pro 11-inch, including the Magic Keyboard, Smart Folio, and most importantly, the Apple Pencil 2. The combination of Air 5 and Apple Pencil 2 can be said to be perfect; it responds well to pressure, meaning you can control the thickness and thinness of lines when drawing. Additionally, it still charges via magnetic attachment to the side of the iPad Air, they attract each other by magnets.
Should you buy iPad Air 5?
This tablet possesses what any tech enthusiast desires: powerful performance at a reasonable price. As for performance, as mentioned, the M1 provides Air 5 with hardware power comparable to the iPad Pro lineup. Regarding the price, despite being equipped with a new chip, its launch price is still on par with the iPad Air 4, starting from 599 USD (equivalent to 13.5 million VND). In other words, buying Air 5 is like holding a small 'iPad Pro' in your hands. Furthermore, iPad Air 5 offers more color options for users to choose from instead of just black or silver like the basic iPad and iPad Pro models.
However, if you require advanced features such as Thunderbolt port with 40Gbps data transfer speed, ProMotion display, better speakers, or higher memory, then iPad Pro is the optimal choice.
In summary, if you want the best-performing iPad at the best price, then choose Air 5.
